COSMETICS. 335 



great that in the A^ear 17''^'* a compan\- offered the 

 g'0\'ernment ilve million francs for the monopoh' of selling 

 a r(3nge of a special C|ualit\-. E\-en ]:)urple paint was 

 tried in the gardens of the L'alais RoA'al. and created a 

 nine daA's' wonder in Paris, l^ow ards the end of the 

 centur\-, under the influence of Marie ^Vntoinette. these 

 A'i\'id colours \-anished from the faces ot the ladies, and 

 the taste for strong scents disappeared at tlie same time; 

 now the ideal became one of tender melanchoh' and 

 modest\'. 



Thus cosmetics and perfumer\' acquired that refined 

 tone which the\' still retain toda\', Ihider tlie Kmpress 

 Josephine wlio, as a Creole, loved strong perfumes, there 

 \\'as a passing revi\'al of the older st\le. Napoleon I 

 himself used onh' Eau de Cologne "wliich he sprinkled 

 over his head and shoulders ever\' morning. 



Since the sixteentli centur\' French taste in perfumes 

 had had great intliieiice among other nations; in the 

 se\'enteenth centurA" it became supreine, as did French 

 fashions. 



It «'as France and England principalh' \\'ho supplied 

 the world with their perfumes. Onh' Eau de Cologne 

 succeeded in surpassing these and attaining a world-wide 

 repute. Germain' has lateh' begun to take her place in 

 the front rank, if not for "bou(|uets'', at least for unmixed 

 perfumes. The Leipzig products in this branch have 

 succeeded be"\'ond all expectations; and (_jerman\' is well 

 to the front with her chemical products, which now play 

 such an important part in perfumer^'. She also principally 

 supplies the ^vorld with those antiseptics which prevent 



